A Shot In The Dark
by crypticnotions
Summary: Sam and Naomi make another attempt at their relationship. Sam/Naomi with a dash of Dell. One-shot.


Author: Crypticnotions

Title: A shot in the dark

Rating: T for one or two curse words and mentions of teh secs. Nothing graphic.

Pairing: Sam/Naomi with a dash of Dell lurking in the background.

Summary: Sam and Naomi make another try at their relationship.

**Disclaimer: Don't own Private Practice. If I did, the characters would dress better.**

A/N: In this story, Dell is 23 yrs. old. I think it's an unanimous decision on the dellnaomi livejournal group that he is 23. I know there are hints on the show that Dell is 21, but I'm going with 23 for now.

&

Months away from turning forty, Sam never imagined his mid-life crisis would include a pissing match with a twenty-three year old surfer boy over his wife. _Ex-wife_. God, it felt weird calling Naomi that, especially since it was Dell who reminded him of his former status as her husband.

Naomi loved him. There was no way the conference room "jumping" she laid on him was completely spontaneous. Naomi didn't work that way. She was meticulous in everything, even when she wasn't thinking clearly. Naomi was such a stickler for the details that he didn't think their wedding would happen with all the fussing over the little things she did for months prior to their nuptials. Thank God for Addison, who calmed Naomi down and forced her to live and enjoy the moment in all of its imperfections. No, Naomi adored him and he missed her. He was still in love with her too. She was intelligent, charming, a good mother and the sex was still really good. If anything, his love shifted into something different and hard to explain.

If he was honest, marrying Naomi was the safe choice and a decision made after a drunken night and a baby scare. Being Catholic, and mostly a good girl, Naomi was terrified of the consequences of having a child out of wedlock and he was horrified at the thought of repeating his father's mistakes. But any doubt he had in marrying her disappeared when she walked down that church aisle. Seeing her holding baby Maya for the first time swamped him with feelings of tenderness and a deep seeded love. Over the years that passion dimmed until one night almost two years ago, he had a vision of them performing the same routine of their current lives for the next fifty years and it scared the hell out of him. He did everything he could think of to shake the image, but the more he tried to push the thought away, the more ingrained it felt as a prophecy of their future. When he tried to discuss it with Naomi, she opened one eye, looked at him like he was insane, and mumbled something about a mid-life crisis before rolling over. He brought the divorce papers home a week later.

Sam knew Dell had a thing for his wife when the surfer boy showed up for his interview. Barely twenty at the time, the kid flirted with and flattered Naomi the entire meeting. Sam would have said no to the boy, but Dell was the best choice out of the stoner kid, the forgetful mom and the nonchalant bubblegum popping trio before him and Sam and Naomi were in a rush for a receptionist. What Sam respected about Dell was that he was a hard worker and organized. He also respected that Dell, despite his attraction, never made a play for Naomi while they were married. But now the gloves were off and the kid had a surprising uppercut that nearly knocked Sam off his feet. Sam had an advantage though. While Dell charmed Naomi, she viewed him as Sam did: a child. She had yet to accept Dell as a serious contender for her heart and Sam wanted to make sure she never started. He was just beginning to envision a new, interesting path with Naomi and Dell was seriously fucking that image up.

That night, after Naomi and he kissed and he told her "I don't care. Let everybody know", he called her cell phone until he by-passed her cheery voicemail and received a clipped, "I can't talk now, Sam. Okay? I have to sort some things out."

He left her alone for a couple of days before asking her out to dinner. He figured it wise not to wait too long. Dell lurked in the background these days with a determined glint reflecting from his blue eyes and Dell had his own advantage: youth-induced stamina and drive. But Sam was experienced and there was knowledge that came with experience.

Dinner was a disaster. They spent the entire time discussing the practice and patients and Maya. Not a single word was spent on them or their relationship. Naomi even spent ten minutes on a ridiculous suspicion that something was going on between Charlotte King and Cooper. They had great sex after dinner, but there was a strange sadness and guilt that settled over Naomi's bones afterwards. Her guilt led to his guilt and his guilt led to their mutual frustration.

Counseling worked better when there weren't conflicting schedules, a practice to run and a teenaged daughter trying their patience. It also worked better when people tried it _before_ they got divorced. Like their dates, it seemed counseling was a time to vent about everything but their relationship. Sam was closer to understanding his father but no closer to reconciling with Naomi.

&

"You think we should be doing this again?" There was a frown carved into Naomi's face as she plopped down in the chair across from his desk. It was two weeks to the date they gave up on counseling.

He sighed. "I don't know, Nae. I thought so." He paused. "I think so." His voice didn't sound convincing to either of them.

"I think this is not working." She said it so sadly that Sam wanted to leap over his desk and squeeze her to his chest to take her sadness away, instead he sat glued to his seat and stared at her. "You know, Maya asked me the other day if we were getting back together."

Sam's brow rose. "What did you tell her?"

"No. I told her no and I think I'm telling myself no too. I love you Sam and I think that'll never change, but I think this might be the end of a relationship for us."

"Is it me?" he asked.

"It's you, it's me, it's this whole situation. I think this is just something broken that we can't crazy glue back together." She paused. "You were the first guy that made me experience magic."

"Magic?" he interrupted with an amused smile.

"It's an Addison term. It's a good thing and you made me feel it. I'll never forget that."

"So...it's really over?" He leaned backward in his chair and peered at her.

"I think so."

"So this means Dell won, huh?" He tried to sound lighthearted, but failed.

Anger rushed through her body and came out in her words. "I was never up for grabs, Sam. This isn't a competition. It's our lives." He watched her march out of his office and, in one capacity, his life.

Sam closed his eyes, folded his hands over his stomach and let out a deep breath. For the first time in fifteen years, Naomi wouldn't be a prominent feature in the future visions for his personal life and that thought scared the hell out of him.


End file.
